Kissing the Book.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 183, 13 May 1873, Page 7

Kissing the Book.

The " Heathen Chinee," who is sworn by repeating certain words after an interpreter and then blowing out a match, is, as a rule, regarded by many persons who have to attend law courts as a man who will speak the truth —if it suits him ; and no doubt John has the. same opinion of his Christian friends. Suppose it were possible that some foreigner, to whom the manners and customs of both Europeans and Chinese were previously equally unknown, happened to spend a morning in a police court, he would very likely go away impressed with the belief that the Chinese witnesses had taken a more solemn and binding oath than the Europeans. The former to pay attention to the words of the oath do appear serious, and blowing out the match, being typical of the extinguishing of their soul if they do not speak the truth, is really a most solemn mode of making a vow. On the other hand, just watch the Christians. One is in the box : he takes up the book without a sign of reverence, somebody rattles over the words of the oath in anything but a reverential manner, while people are chatting about other things, and the witness is told to kiss the book. This is, of course, supposed to be the solemn act by which a man "binds his conscience ; but how is it done ? For instance, a policeman takes up the book slowly and methodically, quietly opens it and kisses a leaf. The uninitiated wonder what opening the book means—perhaps they think the constable had a passage that was peculiarly appropriate in his opinion, or, at least, that he thought kissing a page of scripture more solemn than kissing the outside boards. But his reason is nothing of the sort: he does not kiss the cover because it is unclean; it has been grasped by dirty and perspiring hands until the original colour of the leather has disappeared, and it has been for months, and perhaps years, pressed by the lips of people of all classes and in various states of health. " The Book" is sometimes so dirtylooking that one who had dainty notions or was scrupulously clean would not like to touch it with his hands. Very many treat the whole matter flippandy, hardly listening to the form of oath and appearing quite indifferent to the words used, and such an utter matter of form has the taking an oath become, that if the Court official were asked by a witness to repeat the words more slowly or more distinctly he would, in all probability, be surprised at what he might think the impertinence of the witness, or at all events his over-cautiousness. We cannot hope for any change in the mode of swearing witnesses, but care should be taken to provide Bibles that are clean and can be kissed without causing a feeling of loathing. Meantime people had better follow the example set by the police in some courts, and select a clean page in preference to the greasy boards.— Thames Advertiser.